“Lately, the bishop’s been acting strange.”

“Ah... is that something I should be hearing?”

“You’re a teacher, so it’s fine.”

“Feels like you’re skipping a few steps here.”

Gio was sitting on Aram’s bed in the Moon Sect.

“If you’re here to seek advice from your teacher, I’m happy to listen. Helping a student grow by hearing their troubles is part of the job, after all.”

“Then I won’t hold back. I’ve been too flustered to think objectively, and I can’t just go around talking about the bishop—she’s the pillar of the entire Moon Sect.”

“So earnest.”

Aram looked as if she were barely holding in a sigh.

“What I mean is... the bishop has changed.”

“For example?”

“Well, she’s been excluding me from major events.”

“What kind of events are we talking about?”

“There was a meeting to discuss countermeasures for the new dungeon, and I wasn’t invited. Normally, I’d be called to something like that, but this time, the bishop didn’t even mention it.”

“Maybe she wanted you to rest up, since you haven’t fully recovered yet.”

“I thought so too, but...”

When Aram hesitated, Gio filled in the words.

“It feels off, doesn’t it?”

“...Yes. She always emphasized health, but this time it feels like it’s dragging on. Haven’t I gotten a lot healthier?”

“If a child you cared about like a daughter had been suffering for years in a form that was neither human nor divine, I’d want her to rest for a long time too. I’m sure I’m not the only one.”

“That would make sense, but lately... she keeps looking at me. Like she’s about to pat my head but then pulls her hand back. It’s like, how do I put it...”

“Hmm.”

Gio pretended to think.

“Feels unstable?”

“Maybe.”

The bishop was always calm and serene. In other words, well-composed. But lately, her expression had been... off.

“She looks tired, like she’s not sleeping well. And she’s been wandering around the libraries of the Moon Sect like she’s trying to absorb all of them. Some days she locks herself in her room and doesn’t come out at all... and when she looks at me, it’s like... she’s uncomfortable.”

It hurt.

“Getting upset over something like this just proves I’ve still got a long way to go.”

“It’s perfectly normal to feel hurt when someone close starts pulling away.”

“I want to ask what’s going on, but I feel like she’s avoiding conversation. And she seems to be getting worse, so I’m really worried...”

“That’s definitely something to worry about.”

At that, Gio thought:

It’s done.

Aram had no idea why the bishop was acting like this.

She hasn’t even considered that the bishop is starting to look at her with human concern, like a parent would. And honestly, it’s not like the bishop herself realizes it either...

If the Moon Sect’s system collapsed, there’d be no need for Aram to succeed the Moon. That possibility alone had left the bishop anxious and unsettled—an effect intentionally triggered by the evil god Argio.

Even so, the irony wasn’t lost on Gio.

Still, the way she’s accidentally showing signs of affection only to back off again... it’s pretty serious. Moon Sect priests really do lack social skills. That’s for sure.

Gio gave Aram’s back a gentle pat.

“I never got the sense that the bishop wanted to distance herself from you. Maybe she’s worried about you but just doesn’t know how to show it. So it comes across strange.”

“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved... and grateful.”

“She has been looking rough lately.”

“See? I told you.”

“Maybe she’s conducting some secret research?”

“......”

Aram’s expression drooped.

“...I just feel uneasy.”

“What’s making you uneasy?”

“I feel like a lot is changing. Like I’m standing on the floor of a tall building about to collapse. Or sitting on a branch that’s about to snap.”

“That’s... surprisingly specific.”

Was this the famous instinct of a Saint?

She’s sensing the root shake of the entire Moon Sect? That’s impressive.

“Do you have any idea why?”

“Not really.”

“Then?”

“...Maybe it’s because I feel your absence more strongly these days. You used to disappear often, but at least I could have short conversations with you. Lately, there’s nothing at all...”

“You sound like a child looking for a parent who went on a trip.”

“Well... it’s not all that different, is it? We’ve been together since I was very young.”

“That makes sense.”

She was right on the mark.

Even if she’s still young, she was chosen directly by the Moon. It’s only natural. And if that’s the case, maybe she’ll notice the cracks in the Moon Sect faster than expected. That would make things easier going forward...

Gio smiled.

“Still, I think you’ve been doing well lately, Aram.”

“...Me?”

“The bishop’s an adult. I’ve actually been more concerned about your condition. You were in a pretty terrible state when I first saw you, remember? Imagine the shock I felt.”

“Th-That was... I didn’t know it’d get that bad...”

“I’m happy to see you doing what you want. You were always walking your own path, but I think even you can tell that your perspective now is a little different than it was back then.”

“...That’s true.”

Aram nodded after a brief pause.

“I didn’t realize just how much I still had to learn.”

“I know how hard you’ve been trying. But sometimes, it’s good to look outward too.”

Gio lifted his hand from her back.

“Try talking more with the senior brothers of the Moon Sect.”

“They’re all busy. I don’t want to bother them.”

“This is another way to share knowledge and wisdom with them. Didn’t you only discover the joy and wisdom of meals after eating that porridge I made you?”

“So you’re saying this is the same?”

“Exactly. The knowledge and wisdom a human can accumulate isn’t just in complex theories or unexplained mysteries. Honestly, I think the priests of the Moon Sect are missing out on the most fundamental lessons.”

“...You’re probably right, teacher.”

“Aram.”

Gio asked gently.

“Do you want to become the Moon?”

“Yes, I...”

She answered without hesitation, but the next words took a moment longer to come.

“...I want to make the world more peaceful.”

“That’s your dream, huh.”

“Yes.”

A choice made of her own will—her pride.

“I can do it.”

“Of course you can.”

Gio affirmed her.

“You can do anything.”

***

Sometimes, Ather felt like his current life was a lie.

“......”

“What is it? Are you hungry?”

“...You ask that the moment I space out. Surely you don’t believe humans malfunction solely from ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) lack of fuel.”

“Judging by how long your sentence was, you’re definitely hungry.”

“It is mealtime... but that’s not why I was—ugh...”

Even this nonsense banter with the evil god Argio.

“I baked this bread a while ago. Want some?”

“...It’s soft and sweet. But isn’t this the kind of thing you eat as dessert?”

“Just because you ate something sweet doesn’t mean you can’t have a proper meal. What’s the problem?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a problem...”

Even the fact that the bread he baked himself was too good.

“Do you like the room you’re staying in?”

“Oh, yes. Thanks to you, I’m doing fine.”

“If you prefer, I could arrange lodging in the Black Forest or the beasts’ village instead...”

“As I said before, the Black Forest is too damp. And I’m not brave enough yet to approach that new world you mentioned. This room you prepared suits me best.”

“How brave of you.”

The evil god had personally given him a corner of his tomb.

“I thought you wouldn’t like this place much. Didn’t exactly leave you with fond memories. I worked hard to fix it up, but it still takes guts to sleep here.”

“My comrades all died here, after all.”

Even now, the memory of that narrow, thorn-covered crown still sent shivers down his spine. But that was the past—something to overcome, not avoid. It would take time to properly lay his comrades to rest.

Besides, his feelings toward this place weren’t entirely negative.

“...If I’m being honest, the best treatment we ever received was when we were exploring this ruin, planning to slay you—the Demon King. I can’t say the meals and conversations we had back then were all bad.”

“I’m glad you’re so positive.”

“Didn’t think you of all people would say that. You’re surprisingly generous with praise.”

Despite how you look.

The tomb that the evil god had offered was cozy. Even though it was deep underground, sunlight streamed in. When Ather asked how, Argio said he used the power of the sun.

Something must’ve happened during his sealing.

Even the fact that he now has a human form...

The Argio Ather remembered had been less of a man and more of a massive, malevolent beast. Too large to take in at a glance—part man, part animal. Nothing like the form he now wore.

He said this personality was that of the last sacrificed saint. So this body must be that saint’s too... but still. Why go out of his way to make himself palatable to human eyes?

Still, the bedding he offered was soft. The meals were warm and delicious. The conversations, oddly enough, were enjoyable. Argio was a good conversationalist. Ather found himself wondering how exactly he’d gone from evil god to this almost-human being.

“......”

Not that he was ready to ask yet.

“...Thank you for helping me bury my comrades.”

“You seemed completely out of it back then. But now you look like you’ve sorted through your thoughts and feelings quite a bit.”

“...I apologize again for how I behaved back then.”

By divine grace, Ather had returned from meat mush to man. But even the strongest heroes cracked before the shadows of their past. He could function perfectly—until a single dagger pierced him, and he’d flail like a beast again.

So that’s why you left me alone for a while...

Argio had only recently returned to the ruins. Ather had been busy collecting the remains of his comrades. Thankfully, the evil god had restored the bodies beautifully, saving him much effort.

If he hadn’t, I might’ve remained a wreck even longer.

The feeling was part guilt, part awkward gratitude.

“...We ‘heroes’ are relics of a bygone age. A new era has dawned, so we belong in the past. That’s why I wanted to bury them with my own hands... in the soil of that old age.”

“I do wonder if it’s appropriate to bury them in the tomb of an evil god.”

“I figured it was better than the Black Forest.”

That swampy, foul land would dig up the dead before long. These comrades had been restored by divine miracle—he didn’t want to ruin them again so quickly.

“So, you’ll be staying for a while?”

“Probably.”

Gio nodded.

Aram’s condition has stabilized.

In truth, she had been healed a while ago.

But Gio had remained near her out of personal desire. With the recent chaos surrounding “Amusement Park of Dreams,” though, he had reluctantly packed up again.

“Any cravings for dinner tonight?”

“...Hmm...”

After some thought, Ather said,

“...I’d like jerky soup.”

“I’m very good at making that.”

“You don’t look like you would be.”

“I’ve spent nearly my whole life wandering the Black Forest. You think I can’t manage that much? Still, jerky soup, huh... You must be thinking of your comrades.”

“It’s kind of sloppy, but... yeah, I guess I am.”

“Food tied to memories always hits different.”

The way Argio readily agreed made Ather press his lips shut.

“......”

It made him wonder.

...Is that face real, or fake?

A meaningless question, really.